Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



July 13 1926.

w. c. M WHERTER RAIL WAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed April 6. 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. '77, C.% (LWAA/LZZ1 B Q- -W i lw; ATTORNEY July 13 1926. 1,591,988

w. c. M WHIRTER RAILWAY TRAFFIC CO NTRGLLING APPARATUS I Filed April 6. 1925 3 Sheets-Shget 2 INVENTOR:

F1 4 ATTORNEY July 13,1926. 1,591,988

\QV. C. M WHIRTER RAILWAY TRARFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed April 6, 1925 I s Sheets-Sheet 55 INVENTOR;

BY &22-M- I j ATTORNEY Patented .iui? 192g warren sraras sari ass WILLIAM C. MCWHIRTER, OF ".FJILKINSBURG, PEHNSYLVAEIIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE UNION SWITCH & SEGNAL COMEANY, 6F SVJ'ISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILXVAY-TRAFFTC-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 6, 1925.

'lvily invention relates to railway traiiic controlling apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of the type comprising train carried governing means, and tripping devices located in the trackway and arranged to cooperate. therewith. More particularly my invention relates to tripping devices for use with apparatus of the type described.

I will describe one form of tripping d..- vice embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view showing one form of tripping device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, with cover removed, of the operating portion of the device shown in Fig, 1. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view along line III- 11T of Fig. 2. Fig. i is a vertical sectional view along line IV-TV of Fig. 2 and includes a diagram of the electrical circuits for controlling the magnet A. Fig. 5

is a View showing in perspective the plunger of magnet A. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the crank 0.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the tripping device comprises a housing B containing mechanism for operating a rotatable shaft 1 projecting therefrom. An extension shaft 8 (see Fig. 1) supported in suitable journals, oneof which is illustrated at 4, is operatively connected with shaft 1, through a drive-bar 6,, and universal joints 7 and 7". Rigidly attached to shaft 3 is a trip arm 5. The parts are so disposed that arm 5 is located adjacent a rail 8 over which trafficis to be controlled by the tripping device. 1

It should be pointed out that the trackway tripping device here shown is suitable for cooperation with train carried governing means comprising a part adaptedto engage the trip arm 5 when the arm is in its effective position'bu't not when the arm is in its ineffective position. The governing means on the train may be arranged to respond in any desired manner to engagement of the above-mentioned part with the trip arm.

By means ofa counter weight- 9 and a spring 10, shaft 1Iis biased to a position in which trip arm 5 occupies its effective or verticalposition as indicated in broken lines at 2 on F giie-i T h t is a imes Serial No. 20,973.

tated, however, against the bias of the spring and the counterweight, so that arm 5 occupies its ineffective or inclined position indicated by broken lines 11 on Fig. 4. The counterweight 9 is contained in the housing B and is attached directly to the shaft 1. lVhen magnet A. is de-energized this counterweight occupies the position shown in Fig. 4:, in which position it is supported by a shock absorbing button 13 of resilient material, such as rubber.

A sleeve 1a is rigidly attached to shaft 1 within the housing B, and this sleeve is provided with a yoke 16 to which one end of astem 18 is pivotally connected by a. pin 17. The other end of this stem is slidably supported by housing B as best illustrated in Fig. i. A socket 19 is adjustably secured to the stem 18, and a spring 10 is compressed between this socket and the housing B. It

will be plain from the drawing that the spring 10 constantly urges stem 18 toward the left as shown in Fig. 4:, and hence tends to aid counterweight 9 in biasing the shaft 1 to a position in which trip arm 5 occupies its effective position illustrated by broken lines 12 on Fig. 4.

The magnet A comprises a shell. 20 of magnetizable material supported by housing B and provided with a plunger 21 and awinding 22 surrounding the plunger. The top of shell 20 is closed by a cover 23 also of magnetizable material, which cover with the shell 20 and the plunger 21 completes a magnetic circuit for flux created bywinding 20.

Attached to the lower end of plunger 21 is a block 24L provided with a driver pin 26 extending transversely therethrough. The projecting ends of this pin 26 are pro-vided with anti-friction rollers 27 and 27 (see Fig. 5). A crank C, (Fig. 6) roughly cylindrical in shape surrounds shaft 1, and rotates therewith. This crank is provided with a recess 29 to accommodate the block 24 on plunger 21, and is further provided with two sets of jaws 28 and 28 to receive the rollers 27 and 27"-, respectively, carried by block 2a. The parts are so proportioned and disposed that when magnet A is de energized, the shaft 1, under the influenceof counterweight 9 and spring 10, occupies such a position-that plunger 21 is drawn downwardly. When magnet A is energized, how= ever, plunger 21 is drawn upwardly, and rollers 2. and 21' engage the jaws of rank C to rotate shaft- 1 against the bias exerted by the spring and the counterweight. This motion is arrested by engagement oi? rod 231 at the top of plunger 21 with an adjustable stop attached to the cover 23 ol magnet A. At the ripper end of the stroke of plunger 21, the shaft 1 has been rotated through an angle which displaces the trip arm 5 to its inetl'ective position illustrated in broken lines at 11 in Fig. i.

In order to prevent jamming and binding of plunger 21, guides are provided for block 24. For this purpose the shaft 1 carries a crescent shaped segmental disk 30 which is loosely mounted in the crank but is held in place with respect to the shaft and c ank by the horns on the disk which project into notches 31 in crank C. The outer rounded edge of disk 30 enters a vertically extending groove in the face of block the parts being so proportioned that the surface of contact between the disk and the bottom of the groove 25 contains the center line of the plunger 21. *i roller carried in a. hanger 3t bears against the block 21- on the opposite side of the block from disk 30. The hanger 3 1 is adjustably supported by a bracket 33 fastened to the housing B. It will therefore be plain that as plunger 21. rcciprocates, block 2% moves up and down between the roller 35 hearing against the right hand face of the block (Fig. 3) and the disk 30, hearing against the bottom of groove Motion of brook 2st at right angles to the shaft 1 is therefore prevented. It should be further noticed that motion of block 24; in a direction parallel to the axis of shaft 1 is also prevented by disk 30 by engagement of the disk with the walls of groove and the edges of notches 31 in crank C.

Vith only the apparatus thus far dc scribed, if magnet A were energized, and should then become (lo-energized, the action of spring 10 and counterweight 9 would return the parts to their original positions so forcibly as to injure the moving parts by the. shock. To overcome this undesirable feature I provide the device with shock absorbing apparatus in the form of a dash pot D comprising a cylinder 36 supported by housing B and containing a rcciprocable piston 37. Piston 37 is connected. by a piston rod 38 of adjustable length. with a lever 15 carried by sleeve 14. The air pressure in cylinder 36 is controlled by a valve 40 comprising a comparatively large orifice 43 and a restricted orifice 41 for connecting the interior of the cylinder with the atmosphere. Valve 40 contains also aball valve 42 arranged at times to close orifice 43. The operation of the dash :pot D is as follows:

" I will assume that magnet- A "is tie-energized so that. the parts are in the positions corresponding to the cfliective position of the trip arm 5 as shown in Fig. at. Under these conditions lever 15 is swung to the right and piston 37 is driven inwardly. It, now, magnet A becomes energized, shaft 1 will be rotated in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, and trip arm 5 will be swung down to its inefiective position as explained hereinbe't'ore. During this motion lever 15 swings to the left and piston 37 is driven (nitwardly. The pressure in cylinder St; is therefore reduced, but air enters the cylinder through both orifices 41 and -13 and the dash pot offers substantii-illy no resistance to motion of the shaft in this direction. If, however, magnet A now hecomes (lo-energized, spring 10 and counterweight 7 9 immediately tend to return the shaft to its original position. During this return motion piston 37 is driven inwardly, compressing the air in cylinder 36 and retarding the return motion of the parts. The ball valve 1-2 is driven onto its seat by this pressure and air can then escape from the cylinder only by gradual leakage through restricted orifice 41. It follows that the parts will be returned to their initial positions gradually and without shock. The resilient button 13 absorbs the final shock of impact of counterweight 9.

(hirreut is supplied to winding as shown in Fig. 1, from a suitable source of energy such as a battery 49, through a switch 50 and a resistance 48. The switch 50 may be tontrollcd by any suitable means such as by tralric conditions. lesistance 43 is at times shunted by a circuit controller G. This circuit controller comprises a pivoted cam 4:) and two contact lingers 46 and 457 co-operating therewith. Cam is opcratively connected with a lever 1% attached to shaft 1. When switch 50 is open magnet A is (lo-energized, and the trip arm 5 is in its eilective position as explained hereinbefore, and contact 4t7t546 is closed. Rcsistance 4:6 is then short circuitcd. If, now circuit controller 50 becomes closed. a coinparatively high current flows through winding 22- of magnet A, and shaft 1 is rotated to swing trip arm 5 to the incflective position. Just beiore the stroke of the device is completed. circuit controller G opens, thercby opening the short circuit around resistance AS. The current then supplied to magnet A is com aratively small, but this current is suflicient to hold the plunger in its upper position as long as switch 50 remains closed. If switch 50 is opened, the parts return to their initial position and contact 47-4 546 again becomes closed.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood. that vario-us' changes and 'n'iod-ificotions m made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a trackway trip arm, a magnet for operating said arm, a relatively fixed cylinder, piston operating in I said cylinder and operatively connected with said arm, a check valve comprising a large orifice and a small orifice connecting said cylinder with atmosphere, and a valve for at times closing said large orifice.

2. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a trip arm operatively connected with said shaft, means operatively connected with said shaft for biasing said arm to an effective position, and a magnet for at times rotating said shaft to move said arm away from such effective position.

3. In combination, a trackway trip arm biased to an effective position, a magnet for moving said arm to an ineffective position, a circuit for said magnet including a resistance, and a circuit controller o-peratively connected with said arm for at times short circuiting said resistance.

i. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a trackway trip arm fastened to saidshaft, a crank fastened to said shaft and having twospaced jaws, a magnethaving a reciprocable plunger, and a pin driven by said plunger and located between said jaws for rotating said shaft.

5. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a trackway trip arm fastened to said shaft, a magnet having a reciprocable plunger, a crank fastened to said shaft and operated by said plunger, a segmental disk on said shaft bearing against one side of said plunger, and a roller bearing against the opposite side of said plunger.

6. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a trackway trip arm attached to said shaft, a crank on said shaft, a magnet having a plunger carrying a roller arranged to operate said crank, a disk rotatable with said shaft, a groove in said plunger to accommodate the edge of said disk, and a rollerbearing against said plunger opposite said groove to prevent displacement of the plunger.

7. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a trackway trip arm attached to said shaft, a counterweight attached to said shaft, a spring having one end relatively fixed and the other end operatively connected with said shaft, said spring and counterweight biasing said trip to an effective position, a magnet for at times moving said trip arm to an ineffective position, and a dash pot for retarding the motion of said shaft as the trip arm returns to its effective position under the influence of said counterweight and said spring.

8. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a trackway trip arm attached to said shaft, a crank on said shaft, a magnet having a plunger carrying a roller arranged to operate said crank, a groove in said plunger having a face containing the center line of the plunger, a disk rotatable with said shaft and arranged to roll against such face of said groove, and a roller bearing against said plunger opposite said groove to prevent displacement of the plunger.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM C. MGWHIRTER. 

